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Originally published in The Village Square - Nov. 2009 Now that Halloween is over, it's time to turn our attention to Christmas. That's right, I said it. Christmas is less than 2 months away, which sounds like a lot of time, but it isn't. Plus, if you have to mail your projects, you only have 6 weeks tops. Here are a few things you can do to make this Holiday scrolling season go smoothly. Make A List - Just like Santa, make a list of everybody you intend to give presents to. This includes family, friends, neighbors and office co-workers. Once you start a list, I bet you'd be surprised how many are on that list! Chances are, you won't have time to scroll something for everybody on that list. It might be a good idea to decide now who you'll scroll a gift for and perhaps put them in order of priority. While you're at it, this is a good time to decide what kind of project you'll make for each individual. Go through back issues of your magazines, scroll saw books, the Pattern Library and other online pattern repositories and start pulling patterns to the side. If there's a lot of people on your list, keep it simple. Not everybody needs a Dome Clock that takes 140+ hours to complete. Mark Your Calendar - Now that you have your list, it's time to schedule the projects. If you're like me, it won't get done unless you're on a deadline. It's rough when you're trying to crank out 15 gifts on Christmas Eve! Download and print a calendar from the internet and start marking your schedule. Be sure to put more complicated and priority projects ahead of everything else. Combine similar gifts like nameplates or ornaments so you can knock them all out in one evening. Try to take the assembly line approach to speed up your production. Also, take into account drying times if applicable. If you have to mail out your project, you'll have to get it into the mail early for it to arrive under the tree in time for Christmas. Order Your Supplies - Start gathering supplies. If you have to order special lumber, craft parts or patterns online, be sure to do that right away. It takes time for shipping and you want to be set when you're ready to start a project. Also, remember that a lot of people do crafts during the Holiday season. So, if you get your supplies locally, be sure to pick those up sooner than later. You don't want to be stuck with your local supplier being out of stock on a critical piece. This is also a good time to get photocopies of your patterns. Gather all of your patterns at once so you only have to make one trip to the copy shop. You might want to get an extra copy made, just in case. Load The Sleigh - If you have to mail any of your projects, you'll have to get them in the mail pretty quick. The closer it gets to Christmas, the more packages mail couriers handle, which also increases the chances of lost or damaged packages. Pack them tight with lots of bubble wrap or packing peanuts. If you shake the box and you hear it clunk around, you don't have enough packaging material. Scroll sawn projects are delicate and we want them to arrive in one piece. USPS offers flat rate shipping. Often, this is the cheaper way to mail a package, especially for heavy packages. And what makes it even better, they supply you with the box! Go to any USPS office and they'll have Flat Rate boxes available for free. Take as many as you want. If you have a postage scale, you can buy your postage online and schedule for the mailman to pick up your packages from your home! How's that for convenience? With a little organization, your Holiday scrolling season will go off without a hitch. Everybody on your Christmas list will be thrilled by a handcrafted gift made especially for them. So what are you waiting for!? Get going! Its almost Christmas! Happy Holidays!